VIOLET

“Just a bit over to the left and…right there,” Jayce instructing, positioning his palm on top of my hand on the fishing pole as we directed the bait down into the lake.

“I would have never in a million years think I would learn to fish,” I said.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything, city girl.” He let go of the pole and placed his hands on my waist. “See? You’ve got this. Just hold steady and try not to jerk too much.”

I leaned back against him, feeling safe and secure in his presence. There were already a few fish in the cooler, which we planned to take back and throw on the grill tonight. “This is so peaceful. Do you come out here often?”

“When I wasn’t employed by the pack, I used to. Now I just come out here for food, especially when I haven’t gone to the farmer’s market in a while. I don’t always use a fishing rod though.”

I chuckled and glanced over my shoulder at him. “You just dive right in and catch these poor guys with your teeth?”

“Mostly in wolf form, but if I concentrate enough, I can snatch a fish out of the water with my bare hands.”

“Wow. Aren’t you handy?”

“I used to have a boat, but I sold it a long time ago before I became an enforcer,” he said. “With all the stuff going on, I had no time to take it out on the water or do the scheduled maintenance on it.”

“Did you choose your job role in the pack?”

“Yes, I did. My grandpa and I were close and he was an enforcer. I think maybe if I were a human that I would’ve probably ended up being a sheriff or something. The humans aren’t ready for that yet though. Another time, another place, I guess.”

I frowned. “Well, why not? You’d make an excellent one.”

“We share this town with humans. I know for a fact there are shifter led towns out there, but not this one. Maybe one day…”

“It must be nice to have the alpha be your cousin,” I noted.

Jayce chuckled. “Kind of, but not all the time. I don’t get any special privileges or anything like that. Hell, he works Treyton and me much harder than the others reporting directly to him. When Draven accepted the position, he chose men he could trust to help him. Other packs allow members to fight for leadership roles, but not the Timber Rock shifters. We’re a family. We’d rather someone leave the pack than stay in it and cause problems.”

“So, no sibling rivalry or jealousy?”

“Naw, not like that. Of course, we’ve never crossed that line with each other. I know what belongs to me and they know what’s theirs. I guess it’s a good thing that we’re related though. We understand each other.”

“So, you’re an enforcer. And what about Treyton?” I asked.

“He’s the beta and he mostly rounds up the guys who patrol our borders. We used to live together in the cabin, but he moved out to be closer to the mountains. If grandpa hadn’t begged him to take the position, he probably would’ve been a lone wolf. We have a few of those in our pack where they just want to be left alone on their own property. Fine with us. As long as they report when we need them to.”

“And how did Draven become alpha?”

“By birthright. Both parents were shifters. He’s pure wolf shifter.”

“So only pure wolf shifters can lead?”

“Not necessarily but his father led for a short time before he did. Either way, Draven was the best one to lead us. Sometimes you just know when someone is a true leader. He’s also the eldest.”

“Then Treyton’s like you with one human parent?”

“Right.”

The line jerked and I gasped. “Oh God! I think I’ve got one.” Something started flapping under the water.

“You sure do. Let’s bring her in and then we can go make dinner,” he said, shifting his arms around mine to help me reel in the catch.

After a bit of a struggle with the line with the fish flopping about on the deck, we finally got the catch in the cooler with the others. We walked back to his truck where he put the cooler in the back.

“I enjoyed that. Thank you. I’d like to hit up this farmer’s market you talked about. Sounds like a perfect place to get some souvenirs to take back with me.” It sounded so odd to be talking about leaving here.

“Souvenirs to take back?” He spoke slowly and then cleared his throat. “Sure. I can take you. Probably tomorrow.” He lifted his wristwatch. “The locals run it all day until a few hours before sundown and they’ll be closed by the time we get across the bridge.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Tomorrow. I promise. Does that work?”

I smiled and nodded.

“But, we’re not done yet out here. If you’re not too tired, I’ve got something else to show you,” Jayce exclaimed, holding the passenger side door open for me.

“No, not at all.” Even if I was, I wasn’t about to turn down time with Jayce. He seemed so comfortable outside with nature. Plus, the weather was perfect. “Where are we going?”

Just before closing the door, he leaned in and kissed me. “Sit tight. It’s a surprise.”

He drove along a dirt road in a new direction. Either way, I didn’t know anything about Arrow Lake, so we could have been going around in circles for all I knew. I didn’t care. I was becoming more and more content with Jayce by my side.

“I see the mountains,” I exclaimed, excitedly, leaning forward and peeking out the windshield at the landscape.

Jayce reached over the center console and took my hand. “Yes, we’re getting closer. Remember when I told you that Arrow Lake is home to other packs?”

I nodded.

“Well, we have a peace treaty in place with the Shifters of Crystal Lake. We share many resources, including the land.”

He turned the corner and drove the truck around the bend. As soon as he pulled the truck up to the edge of a lake, I had already taken in the beautiful sights before me. A huge lake and a majestic waterfall with streams coming down from what could have been the sky. The stream was tall, cascading down into the lake. The sun rays hit the surface, creating a crystal-like effect.

“This is Crystal Lake.” It was more of a statement than a question. There was no doubt in my mind.

“Yup. And the famous Crystal Falls.”

“Oh my God. So beautiful. Are we allowed to walk to the edge?”

Jayce chuckled. “Sure, that’s why I brought you.”

Anxious to see the full beauty of the lake, I threw the door open before Jayce could get to the passenger side. I jumped down and hurried toward the water’s edge.

“This is where the first shifter pack was formed. Right here in front of this waterfall,” Jayce said.

I bent down and waved my hand around in the translucent water. Bits of crystal and rock could be seen along the shoreline. I grabbed a few pieces, letting the water drain through my fingers and the rocks remain.

“Why did the first pack split up?” I asked.

“The leaders wanted to go in different directions. It was for the best. After splitting, all the packs were at peace for decades. We lived in peace for a long time until the Black Ridge leaders began to cause issues for the citizens. That’s why they were known as the rogue pack of Arrow Lake.”

“But then the citizens of Arrow Lake passed Lakely’s Law and all of you were driven out of town,” I added.

“Right. Some know the history. They know that we were derived from one big pack long ago. No shifters are allowed near the main part of Arrow Lake in their true forms. Some of the citizens don’t even want us there at all. So, after the vote, almost all of us were driven closer to the Arrow Lake mountains where we remain or further north toward Canada. Actually, we thought the Blake Ridge rogues fled to Canada, but they’re back now.”

“For what reason?” I asked. “I mean, why would they attack innocent people?”

Jayce was quiet for a while. I rose to a standing position near the lake.

“I wish I knew,” he whispered.

I closed the distance between us, linking my fingers around the back of his neck. “I don’t want to talk about the violence anymore.”

I kissed his lips and he returned the endearment, looping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.

“What should we talk about?”

“Hmmm, about how I’d like to come visit you more often.”

“Would you now?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I would.”

Something seemed to be troubling him, but he must have forced his interim problems away. He angled his lips and deepening the kiss, letting his tongue dance with mine.

After we parted, he said, “The sun will set in a bit.”

“Can we stay and watch it?” I asked. “I haven’t seen anything like this before. It must be so beautiful.”

“Um…” His gaze fluttered toward the ground and then he glanced back up at me. His lips spread out in a smile. “Sure.”

We sat down on the ground right at the water’s edge. I settled back, letting my back sink into his chest as he held me. His fingers brushed across my mate mark, studying it for a long time, and then he linked his fingers with mine.

Finally, he said, “Tell me what it’s like to live in Green Bay.”

I enjoyed talking about the city where I was born and raised, so by the time I was halfway through my spiel on metropolitan-living, the sun had just begun to set.

As I predicted, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I was experiencing it with the most irresistible man I’d ever met.

After sharing another kiss under the last moments of daylight, we realized that we’d better head back before we indulged in some major PDA on Crystal Lake territory.

As we walked back to the car, four men appeared from behind the bushes and trees wearing nothing but torn and tattered jeans. One of them had on a black shirt, but it was badly ripped.

“There!” One of the men shouted and pointed in our direction. “That’s the one that killed Manny.”

My breath lodged in my throat as recognition for one of the men flooded me. It was the wolf who had told me to run the night I was kidnapped. The man they called the alpha—the one who led them.

“Yes. Indeed. And there goes our breeder with him,” the leader sneered.